Probing quiescent black holes with tidal disruption events

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) reside at the=
heart of most galaxies, with the most direct evidence of these massive obj=
ects arising from the detection of an Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). However=
, for quiescent BHs in which accretion occurs at a much lower rate, it is m=
ore difficult to probe the nature of these sources using similar techniques=
as those used for AGN. However, tidal disruption events (TDEs), which are =
luminous accretion powered flares that occur when a star wanders too close =
and is ripped apart by the tidal forces of a BH, can be used to probe the n=
ature of these objects and provide new ways to test our understanding of va=
rious aspects of accretion physics. Due to their multi-wavelength propertie=
s, wide-field optical transient surveys such as ASAS-SN and ZTF as well as =
UV and X-ray satellites have allowed us to identify a number of TDE candida=
tes. Here I will present recent work in which we study the demographics and=
host properties of these sources in multiple wavelengths to better underst=
and the diversity in their observational properties. In addition, I w=
ill highlight ways in which these events are observationally similar and di=
fferent from those of AGN, which can aid us in classifying transients as TD=
Es in future surveys such as LSST or eROSITA.